Prasannadeb Women's College

National Service Scheme

The institution believes that the holistic development of students may be attained by getting them involved in various extension activities and community services organized by the college through a number of wings like NSS. The National Service Scheme with its motto of "Not Me, but You" offers an excellent opportunity to the students to inculcate the democratic spirit, communitarian lifestyle, and group learning. NSS has been performing admirably in conducting community welfare programmes and social work projects in rural areas. The College has four units of NSS headed by four Teacher-Programme Officers. An Orientation Programme for the newly enrolled volunteers of NSS is organized to motivate them for undertaking social and community services. Benefits of NSS are communicated to the students during the Orientation Programme of the first year students. Advantages and procedures for participation into such programmes are notified through notice boards and special displays.

At the beginning of every academic session, the NSS Programme Officers chalk out plans in consultation with the Principal for the extension and outreach programmes to be undertaken in the academic session. These programmes are of two kinds—Regular Programmes and Special Camping Programmes.

The regular activities which include Blood donation camp, blood group determination camp, health check up, awareness camp, campus cleaning, plantation etc. aim at the improvement of the overall condition of the locality. In addition to that, the NSS units of the college also arrange the Special Camping Programmes through which economically backward area/village is adopted for different activities like digging tube-wells, spreading awareness of various diseases, health consciousness, awareness of the need for total literacy etc. A questionnaire was generally devised to collect inputs from the people concerned on a number of issues like the access to public health care system, education and employability etc. The findings of the surveys are utilized for devising plans for welfare programmes to be taken up in the next phase. Special attention has been taken to address the problems faced by the disenfranchised section of the society. The report of the survey is also submitted to the SDO for information.

The extension activities undertaken by the college have visible impact not just upon the community where these works are undertaken, but also upon the student-participants. The students from various departments are encouraged to participate in these programmes which help them in inculcating the spirit of service. Their active participation and engagement in social/community welfare orient them not only towards inculcating the spirit of service for the community, but facilitate in their holistic development. The student volunteers of NSS units learn to work in groups and thus develop fellow feelings and self-less service to the society. Since the programmes were executed by the student-participants, they develop hand-on experience in management and thus leadership qualities are groomed. The academic experience thus is complemented by their participation in social activities and they acquire the learning skill for becoming good, responsible citizens with zeal for social work.